The EU target of ensuring 10% of petrol and diesel comes from renewable sources by 2020 is not an effective way to curb carbon emissions, researchers say.
A team of UK-based scientists suggested that reforestation and habitat protection was a better option.
Writing in Science, they said forests could absorb up to nine times more CO2 than the production of biofuels could achieve on the same area of land.
The growth of biofuels was also leading to more deforestation, they added.
"The prime reason for the renewables obligation was to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions," said Renton Righelato, one of the study's co-authors.
"In our view this is a mistaken policy because it is less effective than reforesting," he told BBC News.
Dr Righelato, chairman of the World Land Trust, added that the policy could actually lead to more deforestation as nations turned to countries outside of the EU to meet the growing demand for biofuels.
full article
Friday, 17 August 2007
Marko Spiegel wants to help people design houses that are heated with one watt of energy per square foot of space - a mere tenth of what's normally needed.
That means the energy equivalent of three 100-watt light bulbs could heat your 300-square-foot living room on a very cold day.
Spiegel, an engineer based in LaFox, will talk about his One-Watt-House at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Sixth Annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair, which will continue Aug. 12 in Oregon, Ill., southwest of Rockford.
These homes currently cost 10 percent to 40 percent more than regular construction, Spiegel said.
He emphasizes that the homes are not only less expensive to operate, but are more comfortable and healthier, too.
One-Watt-Houses are so energy efficient that they do not require conventional furnaces, said Spiegel, and these homes use one-tenth the energy of an average Midwest building.
Consumers are ready to build energy-efficient houses, said the engineer, because energy is becoming more expensive and people are learning how pollution damages the earth.
Zaderej, a mechanical engineer, hopes to develop modular systems for the key elements of the house.
This could reduce the costs of the house by as much as 40 percent, he said.
Like Zaderej's home, these houses would be built with structured insulating panels, which are a sandwich of a boardlike material with solid foam insulation in the middle.
Homes and components would be designed to fit with standard items like windows.
Although existing buildings cannot be retrofitted to the same energy standards as new construction, auditing the energy lost from buildings and designing solutions is part of Spiegel's business.
While One-Watt-Houses can be built with a variety of styles and materials, there are minimal standards and characteristics.
• The home design is simpler and compact.
• Walls and foundation are super-insulated and spots that leak cold or heat are eliminated as much as possible.
The walls' R-value, a measure of resistance to heat flow, is about 40, compared with up to 28 recommended by the Energy Star program, a federally sponsored system to let consumers know how efficient products are.
• Windows have three panes and are gas filled and are very efficient. The home's north side has fewer windows.
Other features of these well-engineered houses include being airtight and a heat transferring ventilation system.
Methods that can be used to heat the house include a hot-water heater, bringing in air heated or cooled from underground, solar power, wood-pellet ovens or geothermal systems. Backup air conditioning should be provided by the smallest unit possible, he said.
One of the features Zaderej is testing on the Oregon house is a metal roof that acts as a solar collector to help warm part of the building.
Metal roofing also reduces air-conditioning needs, he said.
The house is heated with an electric hot water heater and also has a basement designed to pre-heat or pre-cool air for the home.
full article
That means the energy equivalent of three 100-watt light bulbs could heat your 300-square-foot living room on a very cold day.
Spiegel, an engineer based in LaFox, will talk about his One-Watt-House at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Sixth Annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair, which will continue Aug. 12 in Oregon, Ill., southwest of Rockford.
These homes currently cost 10 percent to 40 percent more than regular construction, Spiegel said.
He emphasizes that the homes are not only less expensive to operate, but are more comfortable and healthier, too.
One-Watt-Houses are so energy efficient that they do not require conventional furnaces, said Spiegel, and these homes use one-tenth the energy of an average Midwest building.
Consumers are ready to build energy-efficient houses, said the engineer, because energy is becoming more expensive and people are learning how pollution damages the earth.
Zaderej, a mechanical engineer, hopes to develop modular systems for the key elements of the house.
This could reduce the costs of the house by as much as 40 percent, he said.
Like Zaderej's home, these houses would be built with structured insulating panels, which are a sandwich of a boardlike material with solid foam insulation in the middle.
Homes and components would be designed to fit with standard items like windows.
Although existing buildings cannot be retrofitted to the same energy standards as new construction, auditing the energy lost from buildings and designing solutions is part of Spiegel's business.
While One-Watt-Houses can be built with a variety of styles and materials, there are minimal standards and characteristics.
• The home design is simpler and compact.
• Walls and foundation are super-insulated and spots that leak cold or heat are eliminated as much as possible.
The walls' R-value, a measure of resistance to heat flow, is about 40, compared with up to 28 recommended by the Energy Star program, a federally sponsored system to let consumers know how efficient products are.
• Windows have three panes and are gas filled and are very efficient. The home's north side has fewer windows.
Other features of these well-engineered houses include being airtight and a heat transferring ventilation system.
Methods that can be used to heat the house include a hot-water heater, bringing in air heated or cooled from underground, solar power, wood-pellet ovens or geothermal systems. Backup air conditioning should be provided by the smallest unit possible, he said.
One of the features Zaderej is testing on the Oregon house is a metal roof that acts as a solar collector to help warm part of the building.
Metal roofing also reduces air-conditioning needs, he said.
The house is heated with an electric hot water heater and also has a basement designed to pre-heat or pre-cool air for the home.
full article
Water firms to force meters on clients
Water companies are to be given new powers to force meters on millions of families amid claims it is necessary to cope with droughts.
New powers to adopt compulsory metering are to be given to those companies which can show they are in so-called 'water stress' areas.
However, the Government plans to direct every water company in the country to consider imposing meters on customers to solve water shortage problems. The most immediate impact is likely to be felt across southern Britain, where as many as eight m homes, housing 18.9m people, could be required to have meters within ten years.
Compulsory metering is highly controversial for the cost of installation, which is likely to be more than £1.3bn, will be passed on to householders in the form of higher bills.
There are fears that metering is a particular burden for large, low-income families. To date the introduction of meters has been sold to consumers on the promise that they can save money compared with the traditional payment system linked to a property's rateable value.
full article
New powers to adopt compulsory metering are to be given to those companies which can show they are in so-called 'water stress' areas.
However, the Government plans to direct every water company in the country to consider imposing meters on customers to solve water shortage problems. The most immediate impact is likely to be felt across southern Britain, where as many as eight m homes, housing 18.9m people, could be required to have meters within ten years.
Compulsory metering is highly controversial for the cost of installation, which is likely to be more than £1.3bn, will be passed on to householders in the form of higher bills.
There are fears that metering is a particular burden for large, low-income families. To date the introduction of meters has been sold to consumers on the promise that they can save money compared with the traditional payment system linked to a property's rateable value.
full article
Govt ready to extend Hips scheme
Homeowners marketing a three bedroom property will need a Hip, including Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), from September 10, the communities department confirmed today.
Through EPCs, each home is given an energy efficiency assessment, modelled on the A-G rating applied to consumer goods such as fridges.
The government hopes this will encourage homeowners to improve their home's energy efficiency, working to reduce bills and cut carbon emissions.
To help homeowners the communities department has made available 'green grants' of up to £300 to fund improvements such as insulation.
full article
Through EPCs, each home is given an energy efficiency assessment, modelled on the A-G rating applied to consumer goods such as fridges.
The government hopes this will encourage homeowners to improve their home's energy efficiency, working to reduce bills and cut carbon emissions.
To help homeowners the communities department has made available 'green grants' of up to £300 to fund improvements such as insulation.
full article
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